BEMIDJI, Minn. — Long-time Minneapolis television anchor Don Shelby will be recognized as the recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Minnesotan Award during commencement ceremonies Friday, May 8, at Bemidji State University.

First presented by Bemidji State in 1981, the Distinguished Minnesotan Award acknowledges the contributions of current or former residents of the state who have performed exemplary service to the people of Minnesota or the United States.

Shelby has been using his gift of gab – and many other talents — to inform and entertain Minnesotans for nearly 30 years as a WCCO-TV news anchor and reporter. Although his flair for showmanship attracted him to media, his commitment to civics became the foundation of his career.

As a journalist, Shelby has listened to those suffering from injustices, asked tough questions of those in power and given voice to those who are infrequently heard. He prefers stories that challenge people to engage in civic discourse, find their own voice and take action accordingly. Over the years, he has found his calling as an advocate for Minnesota’s youth and more recently for clean energy and the environment.

Shelby finds peace in nature. What threatens nature, he finds, threatens his sense of justice.

In 2007, Shelby received a Leadership Award by Conservation Minnesota for his creation of WCCO TV’s “Project Energy,” a regular segment that focuses on energy and the environment. As a reporter, Shelby has had the privilege of sitting among the Inuit with Will Steger and watching the polar ice disappear.

Shelby joined WCCO-TV in 1978 as a reporter and has been the 10 p.m. news anchor since 1985. He founded the WCCO I-Team for investigative journalism and today leads “Good to Know,” an edgier news commentary. He also has his own weekday radio show on WCCO-AM.

Among his many memorable interviews, he counts former President Jimmy Carter and Paul McCartney as well as lesser-known heroes such as the rescuers of orphaned Romanian infants.

In recognition of his life’s work, Shelby was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2007. He has won all five of the nation’s top awards for journalism, including three national Emmy Awards. In 1997, he received his second Peabody Award, the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, for his ongoing work for Minnesota’s youth.

Shelby also has received honors for his work in the community, including Minnesota Sportsman of the Year, Martin Luther King Humanitarian of the Year and the Great American Traditions Award by B’nai Brith.

Born in Muncie, Indiana, Shelby grew up playing basketball. He served in the U.S. Air Force in the late 1960s where he met his wife, then a secretary in Washington D.C. He shares his love of nature and the outdoors with their three daughters and enjoys diverse hobbies that include rock and ice climbing, gardening and primitive crafts.

Before Shelby retires in Dec. 2010, he has 20 major stories that he plans to cover. He is also working on a book of basketball-related stories and reflections, including a tribute to his mother who until her death remained his biggest fan.

For more information on the Distinguished Minnesotan Award or on commencement ceremonies at Bemidji State University, please contact the Records Office, located in Deputy Hall on the Bemidji State campus, at (218) 755-2020.